My fav was watching Mario's little tire Chev II running Freddie in Wanger's red monza at Cherry Hill industrial park. Big crowd. I was standing at +/- 1000ft. Mario was spraying hard - too hard - and scattered a bunch of stuff into the Supertrap exhaust - which blew the flames out sideways under the car as it expired. Looked like a nitro car going kaboom. From then on I referred to it as the Mario "night of fire" - everybody there knew exactly what race I was talkin about.

I followed the 696 deal after Woodward died - from Forest City in Southfield, through the Nugget in Farmington Hills, to the Denny's in Novi before the scene finally expired. That's when I started running out with the Tele crowd. The 696 guys had some really professional stuff for the era. My 11-12 second junk at the time was just filler for the parking lot.

Anyone remember being at the AAA building on the 96 service drive near telegraph in the mid to late 80's when the cops came rolling down the side street towards the service drive, everyone started running for their cars, and then the cops came over the loud speaker and said something to the effect of "Why is everyone running, we just waant to watch some racing" nuts!

Anyone remember being at the AAA building on the 96 service drive near telegraph in the mid to late 80's when the cops came rolling down the side street towards the service drive, everyone started running for their cars, and then the cops came over the loud speaker and said something to the effect of "Why is everyone running, we just want to watch some racing" nuts!

Been there more then a dozen times. Raced down the hill going west towards Tele. AAA was on the right like on a hill with the lot on the side before the building. Long ride from the east side @ $2.39 a gal for Cam2 and a 5.13 gear. hahahaha
There was a Maroon 64 Ford with a tear drop scoop and a 427 I want a piece of out there. We never did hook up. Great place to hang with one way traffic. I ran my 64 Ply against a white with blue 1/4 panels 70 Coronet back in the early 80's there. Got him by a couple cars. We were ripping it down hill man!!!

Another good race was racing Vineyard on M-59.My Mustang and their orange Camaro.Thought they broke something! Almost lost my car that night to the local cops!.When talking to me he just asked did you win or lost! Won by a train with a wheels up leave!

My fav was watching Mario's little tire Chev II running Freddie in Wanger's red monza at Cherry Hill industrial park. Big crowd. I was standing at +/- 1000ft. Mario was spraying hard - too hard - and scattered a bunch of stuff into the Supertrap exhaust - which blew the flames out sideways under the car as it expired. Looked like a nitro car going kaboom. From then on I referred to it as the Mario "night of fire" - everybody there knew exactly what race I was talkin about.

Yes Berry that was great for crowd but not so great from the engine builders perspective. The car went straight from there to my garage. The Hamburger oil pan ballooned like nothing I had ever seen I think it had an extra 2 QT capacity probably because of the holes in pistons 3 & 5. The head gasket was gone between those 2 cylinders too. Part of the iron block had melted between Cly. 3 and 5 too I guess a fogger and two 250hp plates was too much for the lack of fuel system we had. That had to be 86 or 87 that was part of my learning curve on fuel and fuel systems. That was a 400 inch small block bowtie heads and intake 2"rod journal alum. rod 14 to1 tie valve big roller cam. The car had a power glide with a trans brake and 26X10 slicks mono leaf with slapper bars. I hear that car is still around here with that engine and Mario would like to get it back!
O boy do I miss that stuff!